How can I transport my backpack & Laptop case on my bike w/ out purchasing anything?

Question

I need a way to commute to school and work on my bike but I have a backpack with heavy text books and also a small laptop case to carry. My bike is a 24"(referring to the size of the wheel, I think) mountain bike that does not have a rear rack or anything. I need an efficient way to be able to easily transport my back pack and laptop case while commuting to school and work on my bike.

Answer 1

Go find an abandoned shopping cart, one of the thousands adrift in urban society, and turn it upside down.  Observe it

is a box atop a wheeled support frame.  Measure the stuff

you want transported.  Measure the extent of flat surfaces

available within the cart box.   Where can you locate some metal hose clamps and the obvious hand tools?

Answer 2

Unless you can leave some books at home and put the laptop in the back pack, you haven't much choice. Maybe if the laptop case has a handle of some sort, fit the backpack straps through it and then over your shoulders.  A small basket to fit on the handlebars shouldn't cost too much.

Answer 3

Options abound! Get thee to your local bike shop and check out some bike racks. If you don't have dropouts (attachment on the frame that lets you add pannier/bags) there are bike racks by Topeak, lots and lots of other companies that attach via QR (quick release) to the seatpost. Voila!! Bike rack.

Since it has qr when you arrive as school you can easily take the rack off. Get yourself a couple cheap bungie chords to secure your pack and laptop case and you're golden.

And/or: messenger bag or backpack with the laptop case. Timbuctoo makes them with additional padding built in. I find messenger bags a little iffy on the bike and prefer the backpack with the laptop case built in.

These can be expensive at you shop but look to sites like:

steepandcheap.com

campmor.com

sierratradingpost.com

all have great deals!

For comfort and maneuverability I'd combine this, bike rack for the textbooks on the rear, backpack for the laptop.

Doing things like putting shopping bags on the handlebars is not only unsafe but it's like carrying a sign "I know didly squat about riding!"

Answer 4

Buy a car.

Without purchasing anything? You're choices are very limited.